Headteacher’s Newsletter – 12th September 2025
Dear Parents/carers,
Nursery News
Well, after a lot of hard work the nursery and reception area is now completely finished and it looks amazing! The children have had so much fun using all of the new equipment and as the headteacher of St. Mary’s it has been so lovely to see.



Open Morning Friday 26th September 09.00am – 11.00am
Come and see the new nursery and reception area; our newly re-vamped school hall and of course all our hard-working school community in action. We’d love to see you all. We will have taster sessions from our new Lunch Company Dolce; The Branch will be here should you need signposting to services or support; Locality and Community Support Services (LCSS); The Friends of St. Mary’s and The Book Fair will all be available so please do join us.
Chastleton Teas – Sunday 21st September at Chastleton Church in aid of St. Mary’s Primary
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered but we could do with a little more help. If you could bake a cake and/or could volunteer an hour of your time, we would really appreciate it. All cakes should be brought to the school office by the end of the school day on Friday 19th September in preparation for Sunday 21st. Please contact Sonia King if you could bake a cake or spare an hour of your time on the Sunday.
School Lunches
The feedback about school lunches couldn’t have been better. The variety of food on offer and the new recipes are a definite hit. We have noticed that a lot of children who would normally be entitled to a school lunch are still not taking advantage of this delicious offer. If you are having difficulties setting up an account, please contact the school office and remember if you are unsure whether your child is entitled to a free school meal in KS2, we can always check for you.
Also, some parents are forgetting to pre-order their child’s school meal so unfortunately will not always be given an option at the counter. To avoid any unecessary upset, please order your child’s meal in advance. Meals can be ordered a term in advance. Many parents find ordering on a Sunday evening with their child also a good option so they know what they are eating for that week.
Early Birds and Night Owls
After-school clubs are full. However, you still have the opportunity to place your child in Night Owls, which runs from 3-5pm. Please see the separate email on ParentMail for step by step instructions.
Early Birds and Night Owls – change of drop off and collection
Our wrap around care is now in full swing. Early Birds and Night owls will now run in The Orchard. Please drop your child off and collect your child from the victorian building entrance, labelled The Orchard. Press the Intercom system and someone will come to the door.
Have a lovely weekend.
Kind regards,
Mrs Christine McQueen
Chastleston Teas, Early birds, Night owls, Nursery, School lunches